Some changes proposed as part of Universal Service Fund reform,...
Some changes proposed as part of Universal Service Fund reform, such as single-winner reverse auctions, would create much more harm than good, especially for smaller carriers, representatives of SouthernLINC Wireless said in meetings last week with FCC officials. “As the…
Sign up for a free preview to unlock the rest of this article
Communications Daily is required reading for senior executives at top telecom corporations, law firms, lobbying organizations, associations and government agencies (including the FCC). Join them today!
industry continues to consolidate, the presence of regional mobile service providers who focus solely on their local service areas -- as opposed to national wireless service providers whose primary focus traditionally has not been the rural, insular and high cost areas of our country -- provides the types of alternatives which are necessary to ensure that consumers and businesses enjoy the benefits of competition,” SouthernLINC said in an ex parte filing. The filing said that USF reform “should not lead to the inadvertent elimination of these alternatives in the name of achieving slightly faster broadband speeds by subsidizing only a single service provider.” If the FCC gets the rules wrong, the result could be the “remonopolization of communications services” in rural America, the carrier said.